Private Tales Dark Scholars

[Lilette Blackbriar]

Sitting in the waiting room to another woman's seat of power was such an uncanny experience for the young elf. One would think that her origins might prepare her for this moment, but perhaps her time living among the common folk had diluted whatever experience she may have garnered as a child. It brought up an anxiety that she hadn't felt in years, and if not for the little black gloves she wore, surely her pale skin would have been marred by the anxious scratching.

Lilette was not, despite her bloodline, a woman of reputation. While reluctant to cultivate this namelessness, it was by her own design. There was just so much riding on her guise, on blending in with the living who inhabited these lands, or at least those she had inhabited before. But that didn't mean she had to like it.

Were she a woman of higher station, she'd have ditched the dreary nun's vestments for something much more fashionable, perhaps of local culture or even a cloak of silk or black velvet if she had the choice. But no, She was "Lilette, the humble doctor and alchemist who tended the sick and poor" and not "Lilette, The Black Knight of Vel anir and Ragash, heir to clan Blackbriar and lady of whatever titles she could make up".

Honestly, she was surprised that Medja, the mighty Hands of The Emperor herself, had even responded to her letter. Let alone granted an audience.

Whether it was due to her services to the city as a healer, humble as they may be, the oddity of her research or perhaps their prior meeting before Lilette's studies in the Bimaristan, she did not know. But it had led to this meeting.

Medja

 

[Medja]

"Young Miss Blackbriar, was it? Empress Regent Medja will see you now."
The attendant, one Sameera, had been ducking in and out of the antechamber for some time now. To Lilette, that was all the young woman was--an attendant. There was so much beyond the shallow surface of the Imperial pond than someone like this elven girl would be aware of. By design, of course, but perhaps that might change in time.

Having been seen in, Lilette would be greeted by the sight of a relatively modest office, though still quite a nice one. Succulent plants grew within their finely crafted clay vessels, eagerly soaking in sunlight from the pair of windows on the edges of the room. Books lined shelves made from acacia wood, of a matching make as the large desk that sat towards the rear and center of the space. Behind that sat the Lady Regent herself, Medja of Ragash.

Ordinarily her time was rather finite; one fulfilling the dual roles of regent and vizier, along with attending her own interests, had often far more to do than hours in the day. Lilette, however, had caught her interest some time ago. That, to the Empress, was enough.

"Welcome, Miss Blackbriar. I believe there was something you wished to discuss, yes? Please, dear, make yourself comfortable," she offered, gesturing to any of the several comfortable looking chairs that sat across from her desk.

 

[Lilette Blackbriar]

"Ah! Many thanks" Lilette would nod to attendant, quickly snatching her book as she left the seat to follow them into the Empress Regent's room.

Yes, regent. She could hardly believe that they'd met by chance on the road, but here she was, meeting with the de facto ruler of The Empire. It was a lucky thing indeed, that Medja was so curious in this instance. Though she hoped that the regent may know more than herself.

"Welcome, Miss Blackbriar. I believe there was something you wished to discuss, yes? Please, dear, make yourself comfortable,"

"Your grace," She eagerly took her seat after performing a curtsy for her honorable host.

Still, silver-green eyes dashed from one corner to the next as she adjusted to the cushioned chair. As much as she hoped that the Empress Regent and herself could see eye to eye on the matter, there was always the possibility that things may go very differently than wanted. Exits were counted, inventory taken, all before she allowed herself a nervous but hopeful smile.

"I am most appreciative of thy time, m'lady. If thou'rt inclined toward the formalities than I am certainly prepared to indulge them, if however thou wish to pass them by, I shan't waste time so valuable"

In truth she wasn't sure which way was best to proceed. On the one hand, she was aware that a regent's time was not cheap and that this meeting was in of itself irregular, but on the other, plenty of the nobility were rather concerned with ceremony that had since been lost to the renegade elf.

"As written, we spoke but briefly of an illness under my study. Though small, I've made some progress since last we spoke, with aid of esteemed college here, of course"

With a hesitant hand, she slide her notebook to the table's center for Medja to take if she wished, though she eyed the book almost regretfully.

"tis a grim collection of works, but perhaps useful to thee. I've deduced that our mystery illness be not contagious as thou feared before, but that is one of many things it is not... What it is, however, concerns me more than sickness"

Lilette reclined then, clasping her hands together while studying the regent's response to the whole ordeal, hoping that she had caught a big enough bite from the curious sorceress that she might grant the upcoming request, and silently praying that the nature of the experiments- mostly concerning Lilette's own bodily traits- did not raise question of her mortal status. Though she was prepared to answer honestly if they did rise. Anything outright damning had been written further in anyway, and she doubted Medja would keep the notes for long, not before an accord is struck at least.

Medja

 

[Medja]

Near imperceptibly, the regent quirked a brow at her guest's shifty glances about the room. Cautious, this one. A good trait to have, but a curious tell. As the girl began to speak, Medja's lips curled upwards. Cautious and formal. Medja was versed in the Anirian tongue, but Lilette spoke with a vernacular that could have been described as ornate. The regent couldn't say she didn't enjoy it, though.

Medja's brow tilted quite a bit more obviously when Lilette handed the notebook over for review. She gingerly picked it up and began to skim its contents.
"Indeed...quite the fascinating collection you've gathered, dear," she said warily, glancing from the pages to the elven girl before her. The notes bore some more thorough reading, but that could come in time. What mattered was the degree of how supernatural this condition Lilette was speaking of was.

"What, indeed? If not a sickness, than a curse? Lycanthropy, perhaps?"

She'd known her share of lycanthropes, unfortunately. One was too many.

 

[Lilette Blackbriar]

"Thank the stars no" Lilette stifled a sharp chuckle. What an ironic question, she thought, curious as she may been. There must have been a myriad of creatures she was yet to meet, and she hadn't the feintest clue about most of them.

"No, I fear I'd be howling at thine city if it were Lycanthropy... I am my own patient, you see"

Her eyes dropped to the table now, realizing just how long it'd been since she'd spoke of her condition to any living thing, certainly not a sorceress who would have been regarded as her better in almost every way. Certainly by any arcane means. She wasn't even sure what she was feeling now; Shame, or Envy?

"No matter the medical science taught by the Bimaristan nor tombs I've read in Elbion, It persists. Even with attempts made by others to cure it via the supernatural, it. still. persists."

"And so... I've come to ask thine aid" She would admit, glancing up at Medja with a cautiously hopeful expression.

"Thou'rt a powerful sorceress, as demonstrated by thee long afore now. If this be a matter of magic and not merely a disease, then perhaps thou'rt the expert on such a matter, and not I. I've little in material value to offer thee, but surely a service would be fair? I think ye will find me capable of more than I look, as thou might've suspected"

Medja

 

[Medja]

Medja leaned back in her seat, sweeping some tresses of hair behind her shoulder as she did so. She was no fool; she'd lived long enough to know when someone was withholding information. That much was usually cause for concern, but in this case Medja felt intrigue.

A mysterious foreign girl attempting to self-treat some unknown condition, connecting with the Empress by sheer happenstance...if nothing else, the situation had captured her attention. The idea of a spare warrior-scholar on her payroll certainly didn't do anything to ward Medja away, either.

"Indeed, appearances are often deceiving. I would be lying if I said that your predicament hasn't caught my interest, but..." Medja closed the notebook and set it down on her desk. Vibrant, emerald eyes bore down on Lilette. "I'd be remiss to agree when I don't have all the particulars, Miss Blackbriar. Secrets have been my business for a very, very long time; it isn't difficult for me to teeth when someone is hiding a key detail from me."

 

[Lilette Blackbriar]

"Well, I-" Lilette smiled like a child caught in the act, having expected this but done little in preparation to answer.

So instead, she sighed and allowed her smile to widen, exposing at least one of her long, sharp canines.

"I had hoped you'd see fit to allow a girl at least one secret" Well, it was the only secret of hers that mattered at least. Otherwise, she had been laid bare and vulnerable before the regent. Well aware that Medja could signal for her guards at any moment, or worse yet, use this information against her in the future, Lilette had risked everything in coming here.

"I've more than one condition, you see. The first had me on death's doorstep, and another's efforts to treat me resulted in the second. It wasn't entirely my own choice, but it's given me time to study both afflictions"

"But I need help..." She chuckled nervously, and then sighed worriedly.

"Loathe as I am to admit it, I've not encountered my own kind, and I can't do this alone forever. That and, well... I was never powerful as thee, but losing grasp of the arcane has been... difficult"

Medja